Today we rode in the tree lot again for the shade. This was my first time on Laredo out there, and things went very well. Laredo seems to be finally accepting the bit. His rooting habit is almost gone, and he’s moving off pressure instead of leaning into it. He’s also walking out with a… Read more »
Laredo
The Fourth
It was great to have the Fourth of July in the middle of week this year. It meant I got to use my day off to get to the barn early before the heat set in. We were also lucky to have Robin’s mom visiting us from Tucson. We used this opportunity to get all… Read more »
The Heat of Summer
This has been the hottest summer I’ve ever experienced in Iowa, and it is only the beginning of July. Since I work early in the morning and get off early in the afternoons , we haven’t been going out much. It isn’t great for the horses to stand around in the heat all day and… Read more »
Halfway There
The year is half over, which is hard to believe for all sorts of reasons. So far we’re on track for our 150 hours in the saddle goal. As of the end of the day today, I’m at exactly 75 hours. A couple years ago I started keeping track of my time spent riding. I… Read more »
The Week in Review
And what it week it was. I’ve been working hard and working out harder, and that coupled with heat and visitors made it feel like a long, packed week. Everyday I came home I thought it was Friday, but it rarely was. Needless to say, I didn’t feel like blogging. So without further ado, here… Read more »
Rides and Visitors and Trims
We’ve had a few interesting rides last week. Monday I rode Steen and Brian rode Laredo. My ride was fabulous. Brian’s was difficult. We think Laredo was fatigued, both mentally and physically, and he was inclined towards distraction, jumping into the trot, and rooting. Thursday I rode Laredo in the outdoor arena. His two days… Read more »
Focus on the Positive
It was my turn to ride Laredo again today, and I was determined to have a better time on him. I had a few things working in my favor. For one, I got new boots! I have strange feet. They are strange for a variety of reasons, from genetics to injuries to general conformation. The… Read more »
Day by Day and Minute by Minute
We managed to get up quite early and head out to the barn before the heat today. It was a little sticky when we left, but thankfully a breeze picked up and helped dry the day out a little. We were also happy to have none of the last ride’s pasture shenanigans. Of course it… Read more »
High Hopes
After Brian’s great ride on Laredo on Tuesday, I was keen to try him out Thursday. Unfortunately, I had an irritating work week, and while I wasn’t aware of being tired or short-tempered when we left for the barn, I was probably both of those things. Then there were a few things that did nothing to help… Read more »
Back and Forth
It was a somewhat disappointing ride for all of us. Robin and Laredo had their own issues, and Bear and I were contending with what appeared to be his sore back and distraction as well as my general tiredness. I’m pretty sure any distraction he was experiencing came from me, though I’m sure a sore… Read more »